'We did not risk him!' - Michael Carrick gives Luke Shaw fitness update ahead of Manchester derby

Carrick has revealed that Shaw will undergo a late assessment to determine his availability for the upcoming clash against Manchester City. The 31-year-old left-back was omitted from the squad for Thursday's dominant 4-0 victory over Sabah FK in the Champions League, having previously been withdrawn during the 2-2 draw with Everton.

Explaining the decision to leave Shaw out of the midweek continental action, Carrick emphasized a cautious approach to the defender's recovery process. 'We'll have to see,' Carrick told reporters when questioned on the player's status for Sunday. 'We just kind of looked after him a little bit. He wasn't quite ready for [Sabah] 100%, so we didn't risk it. We'll see how he is over the next couple of days or so.'

The upcoming fixture carries significant personal weight for Carrick, serving as a repeat of his very first match in the dugout after replacing Ruben Amorim on an interim basis in January. On that occasion, United snapped a four-game winless streak with a clinical performance to down Pep Guardiola's side, thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.

Carrick was quick to dismiss any suggestions that the previous result would dictate the flow of Sunday's encounter. 'It'll definitely be different, just because no games are ever the same,' he explained. 'I think there's no way we're assuming we won last year, we'll do the same things and everything will be the same. I think the confidence that we've built over a period of time and feel like we're getting better all the time, I think that helps us. We know it's a big game, we know it's an important game. There's a lot riding on it, it's pretty obvious to say, but we're looking forward to it. We've got a short space of time to recover and prepare for it, but we'll make the most of it.'

Having initially taken the reins as an interim appointment, Carrick's impressive record of 12 wins from his first 17 matches earned him the permanent role at the Theatre of Dreams. While external speculation originally suggested that the INEOS-led hierarchy might look toward a high-profile outside candidate during the summer window, Carrick maintains that his focus has always been fixed on the club's long-term trajectory.

The former United midfielder remains steadfast in his commitment to the project he started in January. 'I think I said it pretty early on, I was always planning to be [manager beyond the summer],' he admitted. 'All the decisions we were making were if we were going to be here for a period of time. I never knew how long that was going to be, I still don't! But you're always planning for the future, what we want it to look like and the direction we want to go, and that was from day one. The performance the lads gave was incredible with all that, but there was definitely always - has been, always will be for me - from the start was planning to try and get this club to where we want to get it in the long term.'

Manchester United have endured a stuttering start to the new Premier League campaign, currently sitting 11th in the table with just four points following a defeat to Hull City, a victory over Ipswich Town, and a draw with Everton. In stark contrast, local rivals Manchester City have enjoyed a flawless start to the season, maintaining a perfect record to share top spot with reigning champions Arsenal.